Nanosystems Institute at UCLA, Photron to Collaborate on Specialized Instrumentation

(Originally published by UCLA)

October 19, 2009

The California NanoSystems Institute at UCLA has announced a collaboration with Photron USA Inc., a manufacturer of high-speed imaging systems and image analysis software, to develop specialized instrumentation for the CNSI's core laboratory facilities.

Photron, an international photo-instrumentation company that provides photo-optics and electronic technologies to the research community, is committed to furthering scientific research and development through the use of their high-speed motion analysis cameras.

The company has donated three state-of-the-art cameras for use in the CNSI's Advanced Light Microscopy/Spectroscopy (ALMS) core lab. The ALMS lab, one of eight core labs at the CNSI, focuses on optical imaging and advanced image analysis techniques for the study of macromolecules, cellular dynamics and the nanoscale characterization of biomaterials, including single-cell study and single-cell detection.

"CNSI is committed to collaborations with industry," said Paul S. Weiss, CNSI director and UCLA's Fred Kavli Chair in Nanosystems Sciences. "The high-speed cameras donated by Photron will greatly aid our investigators in the ALMS core lab as they develop new methods of molecular imaging."

"Photron is delighted to collaborate with the CNSI at UCLA," said Tak Takimizu, president of Photron USA. "The researchers using the core facilities there are clearly poised to lead the development of many important innovations and technologies."

The CNSI provides a unique collaborative space that offers an array of shared user facilities featuring cutting-edge technologies from diverse fields. The center's core labs provide essential instrumentation for the support of collaborative research across the UCLA campus.

The California NanoSystems Institute at UCLA is an integrated research center operating jointly at UCLA and UC Santa Barbara whose mission is to foster interdisciplinary collaborations for discoveries in nanosystems and nanotechnology; train the next generation of scientists, educators and technology leaders; and facilitate partnerships with industry, fueling economic development and the social well-being of California, the United States and the world. The CNSI was established in 2000 with $100 million from the state of California and an additional $250 million in federal research grants and industry funding. At the institute, scientists in the areas of biology, chemistry, biochemistry, physics, mathematics, computational science and engineering are measuring, modifying and manipulating the building blocks of our world — atoms and molecules. These scientists benefit from an integrated laboratory culture enabling them to conduct dynamic research at the nanoscale, leading to significant breakthroughs in the areas of health, energy, the environment and information technology.